Svíčková na smetaně
A classic Czech dish featuring tender braised beef in a rich, creamy root vegetable sauce, traditionally served with bread dumplings, cranberry sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Beef chuck roast(or beef tenderloin, well-marbled)
- 150 g Bacon(cut into lardons)
- 350 g Onions(finely chopped)
- 350 g Carrots(peeled and diced)
- 175 g Parsley root(peeled and diced)
- 175 g Celeriac(peeled and diced)
- 140 g Lard
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g All-purpose flour(for roux)
- 2.5 l Beef broth
- 200 ml Heavy cream(31% fat)
- 1 large Lemon(sliced)
- 50 g Yellow mustard
- 75 ml Vinegar
- 165 g Granulated sugar
- 10 pieces Bay leaves
- 10 pieces Allspice berries
- 5 pieces Juniper berries
- 10 pieces Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- to taste Salt
- freshly ground, to taste Black pepper
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Freeze bacon lardons for 1 hour to make them easier to skewer into the beef. Pierce the beef with the bacon. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Melt lard in a large, heavy-walled pot over high heat. Sear the beef until golden brown on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.
- 3
Lower heat to medium. Add diced bacon to the pot and cook until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat.
- 4
Add diced carrots, parsley root, and celeriac to the pot. Sauté until lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden.
- 5
Stir in mustard and vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes, allowing the vinegar to boil off and reduce.
- 6
Return the beef to the pot. Add beef broth (enough to submerge the meat), bay leaves, allspice, juniper berries, peppercorns, thyme, and sliced lemon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
- 7
While the beef simmers, prepare the roux: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until lightly browned. Set aside.
- 8
Once the beef is tender, remove it from the pot and set aside to rest. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
- 9
Bring the strained liquid to a simmer. Whisk in the roux to thicken the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and granulated sugar. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has a smooth consistency and the floury taste is gone. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 10
Slice the rested beef. Serve the beef with the Svíčková sauce, garnished with cranberry sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and traditionally with bread dumplings (knedlíky).
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓For a smoother sauce, you can blend the strained vegetables with the sauce before adding the cream.
- ✓If you can't find parsley root or celeriac, parsnips and turnips can be used as substitutes.
- ✓Ensure the beef is well-seared for maximum flavor development.
🔄 Variations
- Some recipes include a small amount of apple in the vegetable base for added sweetness.
- For a richer sauce, use a combination of beef and chicken broth.